2. do i have to use my old router? What's the point of it? Why not just use my modem and wrt54g?

Do I understand correctly that you now have phone service and it's working correctly?

As for the router, if it's a good one then it may be worthwhile to keep it and let it run your home LAN, especially if you do some intensive uploading and downloading, gaming, etc. The Vonage router/adapters are mediocre as routers. If, on the other hand, your internet usage is low key and routine, you can probably eliminate the old router and just use the WRT.

OK, where did you get the Vonage adapter- direct from them or retail? If it was a retail purchase, did you activate it with Vonage?

You say that you can get to the internet. Is the computer plugged into your primary router or into the Vonage router? If the former, try plugging it into the Vonage router. Can you still get to the internet?

Authentication of the Vonage router should take < 2 minutes normally. When it's connected for the first time, it can take up to 15 minutes for it to process everything and do the firmware updates. Try hooking it up to DSL modem directly and leave it alone for ~10 minutes and see if the Phone light has illuminated by that point. (give it 10 minutes to think and upgrade itself even if the phone light comes on early).

Ok Guys... Never got a chance to post my fix action because I was running late for work but here's what the problem was...

Instead of adding my old router into the equation (modem->oldrouter-->wrtp54g), I removed my old router and connected the modem to the Vonage router... However... there were settings I had to change in my modem for it to work...

1. My modem has the capability of logging onto DSL... So all i did was change the mode from PPPoE to bridged...

2. I plugged the output of the modem to the internet port on the Vonage router.

3. I then logged into 192.168.15.1 and changed from obtain ip to PPPoe and inputed my logon credentials...

4. A few seconds later my phone light plinked on and I had a dial tone...

In conclusion, if anyone has problems like me, try changing your modem to bridged and use the Vonage router to logon instead...